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Plot:

A reluctant hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home - and the gold within it - from the dragon Smaug. Full summary » | Full synopsis »

Filming Locations:

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Did You Know?

Trivia:

Peter Jackson was hospitalized in January 2011 for a perforated stomach ulcer, which just so happened to be one of the contributing causes of J.R.R. Tolkien's death. Luckily, it was caught in time and surgery went smoothly, with the only impact on production being pushing back principal photography by a month so Jackson could recover before putting himself under three more years of constant stress.See more »

Goofs:

Continuity: When Gandalf is speaking to Bilbo outside Bag End, we can see a woman in the background putting clothing on a line, the clothing changes position depending on the shot of Gandalf we see.See more »

Quotes:

[first lines] Old Bilbo:My dear Frodo, you asked me once if I had told you everything there was to know about my adventures. And while I can honestly say I've told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it. I am old, Frodo. I am not the same hobbit as I once was. It is time for you to know what really happened.See more »

The movie is amazing. It is unlike anything I've ever experienced in a
cinema. The vividness of the colors and light and movement is something
to behold. And then the 3D takes it all to another level. It was a
little unnerving at times. Almost as if I was watching a hybrid of a
movie and a live action performance.

The scenery is, of course, gorgeous. The acting is light, fun, playful
while also managing to stay true to the original story. There is a
little too much of the side stores for my liking. And it could well
have been cut by a half hour or so and still not lost any of it impact
and appeal.

Martin Freeman is a revelation. Knowing him from The Office (I lived in
the UK for a while) it hardly seemed plausible that he could carry off
such a role, but he is very believable. The merry band of dwarfs are
well played and you somehow get to know each of them by the end of the
film. The special effects are, well, special. We were ducking as rocks
and boulders came flying out at us and I swear there was a bird
floating over our heads at one point. The surround sound was rich and
evocative of the caves and the music is lush and emotional.

As for the main story, well, apart from doing a prelude that reprises
the role of Frodo and older Bilbo Baggins, it pretty much stays true to
the text - with some audience members anticipating what the characters
were going to say next.

A word of warning - some of the battle scenes are very intense, made
more so by the 3D and high definition used along with the sound
effects. You may want to think long and hard about taking young kids to
it.

But for everyone else, particularly the young at heart, this first
installment of The Hobbit is a gem.

(note: I was very fortunate to see The Hobbit in Wellington last week.
I was there on business and through a friend of a friend I landed a
ticket. I was in in Cinema 1 of the Reading Cinemas - one of the two
cinemas that premiered the film last Wednesday.)

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